The next morning, Yusa could barely move.
Every inch of her body felt like it had been battered. Her skin stung, her throat ached, and her insides churned as flashes from the night before played on a loop in her mind. She kept hoping she'd wake up and realize it was all a horrible dream. But the ache between her thighs and the raw sting on her neck reminded her it was all real.
Her mouth still felt sore from how he had used it, thrusting himself between her lips like she was nothing but a tool. Her back and thighs ached from the harsh lash of his belt. Her neck still carried the ghost of his hand, the pressure where he had choked her while spitting in her mouth and kissing her like a man starved.
She didn't know whether to cry or vomit. Or both.
Was this how it was supposed to be? He was her husband, wasn't he? Was this what being a wife meant?
Hugging a pillow to her chest, she cried silently. He was already gone by the time she opened her eyes. She had heard him moving, heard the shower running, the low thud of drawers opening, but she had been too numb to move.
After a while, she forced herself up, only to collapse onto the cold floor. Crawling across the room, she reached for her robe, pulling it around herself like a final thread of dignity. Her eyes landed on the trash can. She dragged herself to it and picked up the small pill packet the maid had given her the night before.
She thought it was aspirin.
Her hands shook as she reached for a bottle of water on the dresser. Using the cabinet as support, she pulled herself up, took the pill, and swallowed it.
Kael's scent lingered in the air—strong and masculine, but now laced with something darker. Something that made her stomach curl. She tried to ignore it as she stepped into the bathroom.
Then she saw herself in the mirror.
A dark bruise had bloomed on her cheek. Her lip was slightly swollen. Her eyes were bloodshot, lifeless. The woman staring back at her felt like a stranger. This wasn't the version of herself she had imagined when she was younger, dreaming of flower shops and peaceful mornings.
This version was a ghost. A thing to be used.
She slammed her hand against the sink, the sound cracking through the silence, then crumbled into another sob.
She was still wiping her face when the bedroom door burst open.
"Where is she?" a sharp voice called.
Yusa stepped out of the bathroom slowly, startled. A woman stood in the room, flanked by two maids. She looked expensive. Everything about her—from the curls in her burgundy hair to the emerald green gown hugging her body—screamed power and poise.
"Is she Kael's new plaything?" the woman asked, her voice dripping with disdain.
One of the maids nodded.
Victoria's eyes swept over Yusa with the kind of cold disgust someone reserved for things they scraped off their shoes. "I wonder what he saw in this one that made her wife material."
Yusa, trembling, forced herself to walk closer. "Good morning," she said quietly, her voice raspy from exhaustion and pain. "If you're looking for the Alpha, he left a few hours ago."
"I'm aware. I'm not here for him. I'm here for you."
"For… me?"
"Yes," the woman said, turning toward the door. "Come now. My garden won't prune itself."
"I'm sorry… what?"
The woman paused and turned to her handmaid. "Trudy, when did she arrive?"
"Last night, Your Grace."
The woman nodded slowly. "Oh. That explains it."
She turned back to Yusa and adjusted her earrings. "I'm Victoria Moretti. Third wife of the Alpha."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Yusa said softly.
Victoria smiled thinly. "The pleasure's mine, I guess. Now come. I want you to prune my garden."
Yusa blinked in confusion. Maybe they knew she was a florist. Maybe it was a harmless request. Somehow the way she said it made it sound like anything but that.
"I'm sorry… can I shower first? I'll be downstairs shortly."
"I want it done now," Victoria said curtly. "And I want the fresh apples harvested for storage."
"But I just woke up—"
A sharp slap cut her off.
Yusa hit the floor hard, her cheek exploding in pain. No tears came. Her body couldn't even summon that anymore.
Victoria stood over her. "Maybe Kael didn't explain things properly. Just because he f*cked you last night doesn't mean you're one of us. Don't be fooled. You're nothing. And you'll always be nothing. Now get up and follow me."
Yusa clutched her face, her voice barely audible. "Can I at least change into something else?"
Victoria turned back and smirked. "I want you to do it like this. In your robe."
Then she spun on her heel and walked out, leaving Yusa trembling in place.